Africa-Press – Zambia. There was a heavy Police presence at a United Party for National Development meeting where UPND Copperbelt chairman Elisha Matambo received the defectors from the former ruling Patriotic Front(PF) in Kalulushi, which included former Kalulushi Mayor, Rashida Mulenga.
This followed threats from UPND youths who had warned that they will not allow Mr. Matambo to proceed with the meeting. The Youths had posted a video that had gone viral on social media showing suspected UPND members in Kalulushi district threatening to disrupt the said meeting.
Earlier, Police on the Copperbelt warned UPND youths against their intentions to disrupt a meeting in Kalulushi district, with Copperbelt police commissioner Tresphord Kasale saying the police is on the ground to ensure law and order and that whoever tries to cause confusion at any lawful gathering will be dealt with accordingly.
At the meeting Mr. Matambo defended his move to receive defectors saying that it is important to grow UPN on the Copperbelt and make it strong, adding that the people making noise about the meeting were not even in the structures of the party and the defection meeting was organized by the people in the structures of the party.
Mr. Matambo said that he was just invited to officiate at the meeting and added that he will not be scared and will continue to receive new members to make the UPND stronger.
Mr. Matambo said that he was receiving the defectors with the full party structures in the district and added that even the president was aware of what was happening in Kalulushi
Meanwhile, ministry of information and media spokesperson Thabo Kawana has charged that the days of cadres conducting themselves above the law are gone as the new dawn government has demonstrated the political will to curb the vice.
Reacting to a video circulating on social media of purported UPND cadres proposing violence in Kalulushi, Mr. Kawana said that it remains the government’s expectation that the police command in Kalulushi will move in and bring the culprits to book for threatening violence.
In a statement, Mr. Kawana said that previously, police failed to act on cadre violence and threatening violence because there was no political will but the current government has demonstrated political will to curb caderism at the highest level with the president being consistent with the call to end caderism in all forms and from all public places.
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